System for measuring electrokinetic properties and for characterizing electrokinetic separations by monitoring current in electrophoresis.

摘要

The electroosmotic velocity of an electrolyte (12) is determined by displacing the electrolyte (12) which fills a capillary tube (14) by a second electrolyte (16) which has the same composition as the first electrolyte but of a different concentration. The current flowing through the electrolyte is monitored until the current value becomes constant, indicating that all of the first electrolyte has been replaced by the second electrolyte. The time (t1-t0) required for the first electrolyte (12) to be entirely replaced by the second electrolyte (16) is therefore measured to yield the electroosmotic velocity. Samples in the electrolyte are detected by a detector (24) to measure their actual velocity. the actual velocity and the electroosmotic velocity of the electrolyte as a whole enables the electrophoretic mobility of the sample component to be determined. This method enables the measurement of migration rates of micelles.